Northeast Snow Storm: Do You Really Have To Drive Today?

On very cold mornings some people worry about whether their cars’ engines will start. But today I was more concerned about the snow blower. Last winter it began running erratically and while I thought I had fixed the problem, the deep snow from last night’s blizzard, which covered much of the Northeast, would test the machine. It had to run well if I was to clear the driveway.

Sure, my wife’s Subaru wagon has all-wheel drive and winter tires, but it can’t necessarily muscle its way through three-foot drifts and that five-foot wall of snow left by snowplows where the driveway meets the street. Still, she’s expected at the office and, like a lot of people, relies on her car to get there.

While we like to chant about the merits of public transportation, times like this show why some people would rather fight than give up their cars. When the weather takes truly bad turn, often the only way to get anywhere is with a car and determination.

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